Welding rod holder



March 2, 1943.

W. LINQUIST WELDING ROD HOLDER Filed July 17, 1941 56 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS yatented Mar. 2; 1943;.

UNITED,

- WELDING non 110mm Wiliam Linguist, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to A. L.

" Austin, Cleveland, Ohio, as trustee Application My 17, 1941, Serial No. 402,771

- 2 Claims. (Ci. 219-8) This invention relates to improvements in welding-rod holders, that is to say devices for grasping welding rods and functioning as holders or handles'ior convenient manipulation by the operator during welding operations. Such devices also, of course, serve to transmit electric current from a conductor to the welding rod.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of means susceptible of easymanipulation for quickly clamping a rod in any one of various angles and permitting the shifting of the rod longitudinally at intervals as it is consumed, and with a minimum of eifort.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a welding rod holder embodying the invention; I

Fig; 2 is an elevational view at right angles to Fig. 1, partly in section upon the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the'gripping jawsbeing in their closed position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 2

showing the clamping jaws in their open posi+ tion; and

Figs. 4 and. 5 are cross-sectional views taken substantially on lines 4-4 and li'5 of Fig. 2.

\In the drawing I have illustrated a holder of elongatedform, the major element of which is a body member extending the full length of the holder. In the illustrated embodiment this body member comprises two parallel bars ill of identical form connected near one end of the holder by a pair of plates II and by a ring l2 with a central conical cavity It. At their opposite ends the bars l are externally recessed to receive a' cylindrical ring l4 to which they are secured by welding or otherwise.

Intermediate their ends the bars ill carry an abutment collar 15 which is recessed to receive the bars, this collar bearing against shoulders IS on the bars. Collar has a central opening through which a plunger red I! slidably extends. A washer i8 surroundsthe rod below collar l5 and forms a seat for one end of a coil spring IS, the opposite end of which engages a cylindrical block 20 that is threadably mounted upon the lower end of the rod. A flexible electric conductor 2| is'electrically and mechanically joined to block 20, as by sweating. Spring IE, it will be faces of link 22.

Movement of the plunger in the opposite direction is accomplished by vmeans of a toggle lever comprising a link 22 bifurcated to straddle one of the bars I0 and a link formed of two dentical pieces 23 connected by a pivot 24 to the opposite The opposite extremities of the link pieces 23 are pivotally connected with o posite sides of a plunger head 25 which is preferably integral with the red I! and which slides between the bars [0. Obviously when the middle joint of the toggle, that is the joint'around pivot 24 is pressed inwardly,' the plunger I1 is moved I endwise against the action of spring l9, and because of the mechanical advantage afforded by the toggle the actuationof the plunger requires little eflort even though the spring ill be a relatively strong one Two levers 25 provided at their outer ends with clamping'jaws 21 areconnected with plunger head 25 by pivots 28. v throughthe space between plates I I and through the conical opening IS in ring 12. The jaws at the outer ends of the levers each have a semiconical portion 29 which contacts with the upper part of the conical opening i3 of ring l2. Consequently when the levers 26 are pulled inwardly by spring 19 the surfaces 29 engage the conical surface of opening l3 and direct the jaws 21 together.

Levers 26 are formed with small cam surfaces 20 surrounding a cavity in which is received a pin 3| that is mounted in the parallel plates II and bridges the space between them. When the levers 26 are forced outwardly by the actuation of the toggle lever the cam surfaces 30 running upon the sides of pin 3i spread the jaws 21 apart as in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The engaging surfaces of the jaws are provided with. registering grooves forming two gripping channels 32 and 33 at right angles to each other and two crossed diagonal channels 34 and 35. A fragment of a observed, therefore tends to move the plunger towardthe butt end of the holder and when the plunger moves the conductor 2| moves with it.

I prefer to provide each of the clamping jaws 21 with a skirt 38 which deflects sparks away from the interior of the tool.

The body of the device is protected by a cylin- These levers project drical casing 01 insulation material constructed prei erably in two parts 31 and 38 which may be secured to the body member by screws 38 and lb respectively. The casing part 38 is cut out as indicated at 4! to permit the middle joint of the toggle lever to project outwardly so that it may be actuated by the operator, and an. insulartion cap 42 covers the joint, protects the operator irom electric shock, and provides a thumb piece for his convenient use in opening the clamping jaws.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a holder of the class described, an elongated body member, a casing of insulation mate rial surrounding said body member, a plunger longitudinally movable within said body member, a pair of clamping jaws carried by said plunger projecting from one end of said body member, an electric conductor projecting through the opposite end of said body member and connected with said plunger, means for opening said jaws when moved in one direction longitudinally of the body member and closing them when moved 7. with said plunger, means for opening said jaws when moved in one'direction longitudinally, the body member and closing them when moved in ,the opposite direction, a spring for moving the plunger in one direction and a toggle for moving it in the opposite direction, the middle joint of said toggle projecting outwardly through said body member and casing, and a cap of insulating material on said projecting middle joint for convenient actuation by the operator.

WILIAM LINQUIST. 

